Growing up, I was one of three children. My mother was a single mom and faced a lot of hardships. Yet she always made dinner for us. This was one of my favorites growing up, and now, I make it for my own family often. It’s super quick and delicious. If you’ve got a large family, if you’re expecting company and want to go casual, give this a try. Kids love it, and grown-ups eat it up. Best of all—it feeds a lot of people!
For this recipe you’ll need:
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1lb. ground beef
1 tsp. allspice
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 red onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
To Make This Recipe:
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
In the meantime, in a large pot, begin browning the ground beef over medium-high heat. After 5 minutes, add the spices, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until beef is browned and onion is tender. Add canned tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-30 minutes (depending on how much time you have).
Add cooked and drained pasta to the sauce and stir well. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Tips:
The spices are my favorites. If you don’t like them, substitute them with your own favorites. This is an easily adaptable meal.
You can substitute ground turkey for the beef if you’d like.
To turn this into a pasta bake, cook as directed, and then layer the meal in a 13×9 dish with 4 cups mozzarella cheese (finishing with a layer of cheese). Bake at 350 for 30-45 min.
This meal is better the next day so enjoy leftovers! Or make it ahead if you know the week is going to be crazy. My family eats on this meal for about 3 days.